The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-04-23

new county board Of supervisors OF Iron
county, attheir first meeting, held in the
county clerks Office in thiscity on Satur-
day night last. The publishing OF the
proceedings is not authorized by the
board, nor is il paid for, but from every
thing learned it is though best to tell the
people OF the county what was trans
acted at the meeting in question. They
met as before stated and TO use Mr..
Crandal's words, 'forno other apparent
reason than To reduce the salaries OF
certain county officers and TO increase
that OF Others" Mr.. Crandall, in CON
versation upon the subject with the
writer, said: al knew nothing whatever
OF the meeting until Under-sheriff Prince
came to my house in the evening and
said that they (meaning the board
wanted me to come down there. ] went
down and sat there and finally H. NJ.
Atkinson, OF Felch, arose and said that
the committee was ready to report and
requested that the Office be vacated ex-
cept 10y those that belonged there. con-
sidered that belonged there and re-
manned in my seat, until Atkinson
very bluntly asked me 20 excuse myself,
which did, thinking the proceeding "A
very strange one. After remaining out
Of the office about an hour, returned and
after giving them "a few requested points
on questions OF law, went home, and did
not learn what had been done until
later" A. b. MacKinnon was chosen
composed OF III. NJ. Atkinson, OF Fetch T;
A. b. MacKinnon, OF Iron River and
Charles Olcson, OF Bates. 1t is apparent
that the whole work os the meeting was
done by the secret committee and the
work was this: To reduce Prosecuting
Attorney Crandalls salary from 5000 TO
800, reduce Probate Judge Galagher's
salary from $500 TO 5000, increase the
sheriff's salary from $3.50 10 S275, in
crease County Clerk Dunn's salary from
$3.50 To $500, increase treasurer's salary
from 5000 To 1928. Was there ever a
thing more absurd than this2 That the
board OF supervisors has no authority
v.Dy which il could rearrange the salaries
OF the several county officers is plainly
set forth in llowells statutes, section
sos, volumn one, reads: "The people
OF the State OF Michigan enact, that the
annual salaries Of all salaried county
officers, which are now or may be here
after by law fixed by the board OF super
visors, shall be fixed by said board ON
or before the thirty-first day Of October
prior to the commencement Of the term
of such officers, and the same shall not
be increased or diminished during the
term for which such officers shall have
been elected or appointed. From that,
and no doubt the laws viii he recog-
nized, il would appear that all of the
business transacted at the secret session
would amount To naught. OF course
these gentlemen are not TO blame for
what they do not know, but they should
endeavor Co be more careful IN the future
as such actions give food for much
thought. What occasion was there for
the changing of the salaries anyway
None WnHteNcf. nat WilHl HilktH
the affair look suspicious. The county
clerk receives salary Of $25Oper annum,
besides "for his services in civil cases
and other matters, such fees and com
pensntion, as shall be provided by law"
The treasurer receives a salary Of 5000
per year besides a per centage ON taxes,
and other fees and the sheriff is allowed
$3.50 n year above all fees, etc There
is no feasible excuse for reducing the sal
aries OF Messrs Crandall and Gallagher
10 increase that OF Mcssrs Mclean, Dunn
and Ilurhitt
ANOTHER STORY.
Since the above was written il has been
learned that the salary Of the prosecut-
ing attorney was fixed at 500 per year
ut the time the county was organized and
that 5000 has been drawn instead Of the
amount allowed; this story, however,
has yet To be authenticated. II, as
stated, the prosecuting attorney has
ovefdawn his salary, thing that looks
quite improbable, IL Is no more than
light that the new board should exercise
= is authority by putting "A stop TO IT,.
But the board had no right toreduce the
salary OF probate Judge nor Increase the
salaries Of clerk, sheriff and treasurer
The committee that is responsible for
this blnndcr il composed 81 gentlemen,